discourage your Lordship from receiving these my Memoirs into your patronage; for the unhappy cannot expect favour, but from those who are endued with generous souls.

Give me leave, my Lord, to congratulate this good fortune, that neither Whig nor Tory (in this complaining age) have found fault with your conduct. Your family has produced heroes, in defence of injured kings; and you, when it was necessary, haye as nobly adhered to the cause of liberty.

My LORD,

Your Lordship's most obedient,

And most devoted humble Servant,

G. CARLETON.

ΤΟ

THE READER.

THE Author of these Memoirs began early to distinguish himself in martial affairs, otherwise he could not have seen such variety of actions, both by sea and land. After the last Dutch war he went into Flanders, where he not only served under the command of his Highness the Prince of Orange, whilst he was Generalissimo of the Dutch forces, but likewise all the time he reigned King of Great Britain. Most of the considerable passages and events, which happened during that time, are contained in the former part of this book.

xxii

In the

TO THE READER.

year 1705, the regiment, in which he served as captain, was ordered to embark for the West Indies; and he, having no inclination to go thither, changed with an half-pay captain; and being recommended to the Earl of Peterborough by the late Lord Cutts, went with him upon that noble expedition into Spain.

When the forces under his Lordship's command were landed near Barcelona, the siege of that place was thought by several impracticable, not only for want of experienced engineers, but that the besieged were as numerous as the besiegers; yet the courage of that brave earl surmounted those difficulties, and the siege was resolved up

on.

Our author having obtained, by his long service, some knowledge of the practic part of an engineer, and seeing at that critical time the great want of such, readily acted as one, which gave him the greater oppor

tunity of being an eye-witness of his Lordship's actions; and consequently made him capable of setting them forth in these his Memoirs.

It may not be, perhaps, improper to mention, that the Author of these Memoirs was born at Ewelme in Oxfordshire, descended from an ancient and an honourable family. The Lord Dudley Carleton, who died secretary of state to King Charles I., was his great uncle; and in the same reign his father was envoy at the court of Madrid, whilst his uncle, Sir Dudley Carleton, was ambassador to the States of Holland men in those days respected both for their abilities and loyalty.